Healthy Cooking with Kamalaya: Raw Phad Thai

Serves 2

To make this popular Thai dish suitable for detox and raw food diets, we use strips of young coconut meat in place of the usual noodles. You will need meat from a young coconut; if you can’t find them in your local supermarket, then try Asian grocers or health food stores. Substituting coconut meat for noodles does more than make this dish detox-friendly – it also provides great nutritional benefits. Coconut meat is a an excellent source of dietary fibre and is high in manganese, a mineral that supports the immune and nervous systems and helps to metabolise fat and protein. Coconut is high in lauric acid, which helps ward off bacteria and infections and the natural iodine content can also support thyroid function.

MethodBegin by preparing the sauce. Peel the cooked sweet potato and grate finely into a bowl. Add 5 ml of the Detox Chilli Paste and whisk well. Taste, and adjust with more chilli paste if desired. Add tamarind juice, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Continue whisking, add the pineapple juice slowly until you reach a sauce consistency. (Any left over sauce can be frozen for later use.)